


Cake Substitution no Jutsu

by Gloomier, ladyxdaydream



Series: Growing Family [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Birthday Party, Family Feels, Fluff and Humor, Hokage Hatake Sakumo, M/M, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:47:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24155314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gloomier/pseuds/Gloomier, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyxdaydream/pseuds/ladyxdaydream
Summary: Kakashi had plans for Iruka’s birthday celebration, but their five-year old daughter had some of her own.When he tries to get a handle on the situation, he learns she wasn’t working alone.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Series: Growing Family [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775407
Comments: 20
Kudos: 122
Collections: Iruka's Birthday Shiritori 2020





	Cake Substitution no Jutsu

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Impressionable and Flea-bitten](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24107656) by [Gloomier](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gloomier/pseuds/Gloomier). 



> This is Team Iruka (S)ass Squad's final fic for the Iruka Birthday Shiritori event. We got kind of fancy, so our final fic is a collab between us!
> 
> As this fic is part of a series of fics, you don't necessarily have to read them, but this fic would make more sense if you've read the others that came before it.
> 
> Previous installments:  
> [Part 1](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23586184) / [Part 2](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23636149) / [Part 3](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23802805/chapters/57185839) / [Part 4](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23917486) / [Part 5](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24107656)
> 
> You can find us both on Tumblr, [here (ladyxxdaydream)](https://ladyxxdaydream.tumblr.com) and [here (Tea-Blitz)](https://tea-blitz.tumblr.com)!
> 
> Finally, thank you to the mods over at [Kakairu-fest](https://kakairu-fest.tumblr.com/) for continuing to put on great events! If you haven't yet, you should definitely check out the other fics in the Shiritori collection!

“Later!” Tomo screeched, making a beeline for the door.

_“To mo,” _Iruka called, his stern voice echoing around the bathroom. Although he’d been appointed Headmaster at the Academy almost three years ago, his teacher's voice had refused to die. It usually worked, but his daughter was at the age where sometimes she would purposely misbehave, just to see what he would do in response. Thankfully, this wasn’t one of those times.

She had stopped inches from the open door with her fists balled up at her sides. Iruka fully expected her to stomp over once she turned around.

“Sweetheart,” Iruka coaxed her, knowing the reasoning behind her mini tantrum. “I have to do it while your hair is still wet.”

She didn’t stomp. In fact, she turned impossibly soft, making her dark eyes wide and watery as she walked towards Iruka.

“But  _Papa_ —”

“That’s not going to work on me,” Iruka said, with a shake of his head. His daughter had also mastered manipulation. It didn’t phase Iruka—he was used to hoards of children trying to get their way—but his husband, well, Kakashi was a sucker.

This time she did stomp her foot, but only once, her lip twitching as it curled into a snarl, revealing one of her sharp canines.

“Come on,” Iruka smiled, reaching for her. “Up you get.”

He lifted her on top of the counter and she settled cross-legged next to the sink, facing the mirror. Tonight they were having a small get together for Iruka’s 36th birthday, and he wanted to give Tomo’s hair a trim in an attempt to tame it.

Iruka had been cutting his own hair since he was a kid. It had started out of pure survival, then frugality. He couldn’t blame anything specific now—old habits died hard he supposed. He’d gotten rather good at it though, and had taken to cutting Tomo’s as well.

He ran a comb through her thick hair, only manageable because he’d doused it in conditioner moments before in the bath. It was silky to the touch, with the faint smell of melon still lingering from the shampoo.

“Alright,” he said, unlocking the seal on the drawer to remove the shears, “stay still please.”

Tomo kept her eyes on her lap, not saying a word.

Iruka lifted the ends of her hair, more gray than silver when damp, cutting an inch off each time he’d run the comb through until he was finished.

“See?” Iruka said, wiping the split ends off her shoulders. “Painless. You can barely notice a difference.”

“Not true,” Tomo pouted, looking like the spitting image of Kakashi. “You cut too much! I’m never gonna look like Grandpa!” she cried.

Iruka laughed at that. Sakumo was his daughter’s idol. The other day, he’d walked in on her in her room—a square basket on her head and a white pillowcase tied around her neck—bossing around her toys who were all wearing paper masks.

A five-year-old Hokage relegating orders to her ANBU stuffies.

“The funny thing about hair,” Iruka told her, “is that you need to cut it for it to grow.”

“That’s stupid,” she huffed.

“You have a better vocabulary than that,” Iruka frowned, running his fingers through her hair again. Maybe she’d been spending too much time around Naruto. He didn’t babysit often, but when he did, Iruka remained alert, ready for any sort of message he’d have to rush home for. God help him if she picked up some of Naruto’s mannerisms.

She hopped up onto her bare feet, standing in front of Iruka on the counter.

“I’m as tall as you!” she proclaimed, back tall and ramrod straight, chest puffed out in pride.

Iruka scooped her into his arms and pressed a fast succession of kisses into her neck and hair, as Tomo giggled and screamed.

“You’re not allowed to grow up that fast,” he said, planting another kiss to her shoulder.

_”Papa!”_ she yelled, wriggling so much Iruka had to put her down before she slipped free and fell.

“You’ve got one hour before you have to get dressed for the party!” Iruka called after her as she ran out of the bathroom, his heart alight in his chest.

Iruka stood there for a moment, the last vestiges of Tomo’s laughter lingering in her wake. The fact he could have lost all of this was still relatively raw. Going through the 4th Shinobi war with a child was unlike anything Iruka could have imagined. He had felt pulled in several directions—between wanting to be out in the midst of it and staying back to stand fierce and protective in front of Tomo.

In the end, the decision was out of his hands. Sakumo had ordered him to stay in the village to assure the safety of the children (and in an effort to assure Tomo had at least one parent survive, but that went unsaid). No one knew Academy protocol better than Iruka, nor how to better command obedience of the children. 

While that had soothed his heart in one way, it broke it in others. Kakashi had been sent to the front lines, understandably so, but almost losing him permanently to Pein’s attack had left its own scar. Kakashi was one of Konoha’s greatest assets; any enemy would put their full weight behind taking him out along with his father. Together, they were formidable.

Somehow Iruka had managed to survive the war with all of his precious people unscathed. That was a luxury not many experienced.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Kakashi rounded the doorframe to the bathroom. Iruka blinked away the unshed tears.

“You were gone longer than I expected,” Iruka said in greeting.

He had sent Kakashi to retrieve the food they’d ordered for their guests over an hour ago.

“I got lured into one of Gai’s challenges,” Kakashi said, rubbing sheepishly at the back of his neck.

“I hope that was before you picked up the food,” Iruka said, with a questioning quirk of his brow.

“It was.”

“What did he have you do this time?” Iruka asked, taking a step closer to rest a hand on Kakashi’s hip. Kakashi had entered the bathroom already stripped of his vest and forehead protector—a uniform he no longer needed, but couldn’t seem to let go of yet.

“A scavenger hunt,” was all Kakashi said, pulling his mask down beneath his chin.

“I’m not even going to ask,” Iruka laughed, leaning in for a kiss.

Kakashi gave him one, reluctantly, and twisted away when Iruka’s lips wandered across his jaw.

“I’m all sweaty,” Kakashi protested.

Iruka held him in place.

“You know I like that,” Iruka said, voice low, licking a dirty stripe up his neck, all salt and sweat, and  _Kakashi_.  “Don’t act like you don’t.”

Kakashi shuddered. He knew all too well what Iruka liked. On the days they trained together to keep themselves in shape, it nearly always ended with at least one of them naked.

“If you hadn’t showered already, I’d suggest you join me,” Kakashi said, going to close the door save for a crack, before starting to strip.

Iruka had moved to sweep up Tomo’s hair, taken unaware as Kakashi pressed himself against him from behind.

Iruka turned in his arms, his eyes raking down his husband’s chest. Since retiring, Kakashi had lost a bit of his chiseled body. It was replaced with something a little softer but just as strong. A maturity that made Iruka’s blood sing beneath his skin.

“This seduction might’ve had more punch if you weren’t wearing your Icha Icha boxers,” Iruka teased, snapping them playfully at the waistband.

“We need to do laundry,” Kakashi said with an edge of distaste, imagining the chore it was definitely going to be.

“Oh, I’m well aware,” Iruka replied. He’d been wearing the same uniform and lounge sweats a few days in a row now, and Tomo had resorted to running around half-naked whenever they were home. “I think the only clean outfit I have left is the one I’m about to change into, which…” He ran his hand back up Kakashi’s scarred chest, smoothing it over his shoulder. “…I should probably go do.”

He leaned in for one more kiss before discarding Tomo’s hair in the trash and turning to go.  


* * *

Iruka placed an elastic band between his teeth, freeing his fingers to comb through his hair in front of the mirror. If it wasn’t so humid, he would have left it all the way down. Instead, he settled for pulling it halfway back to keep it off his face. He rarely wore his signature tight ponytail at home. It helped him separate work from his private life, even if it was only symbolic.

“You look…” Kakashi started, sauntering into the bedroom with a towel slung low on his hips, another one ruffling at his hair. “…so good. How do you always look so good?”

Kakashi threw the towel in his hand onto the bed and ran his fingers down the open edge of Iruka’s dark blue _haori_ jacket. It was covering a fitted white t-shirt, above loose brown shorts that tied at the waist.

“You’re ahead of your time. With fashion like that.”

“Stop flattering me,” Iruka said, though he smiled at the compliment. “And get dressed yourself.”

Kakashi crossed over to their closet, slipped into a sleeveless black tank top that ended in a mask, before stepping into a pair of briefs and pulling on a forest green _jinbei_.

“Done,” Kakashi said, sidling up to him again. “Can I continue to flatter you now?”

“Hm,” Iruka hummed, admiring how the color looked against his husband’s pale skin. “Sakumo’s going to scold you for wearing something so casual.”

“It’s my house,” Kakashi shrugged, unbothered. “I can do whatever I want.”

“He  _ is  _ the clan head and the Hokage. Technically his word is law,” Iruka teased. 

Up until their engagement, Kakashi had lived in the main house with Sakumo. When Kakashi had started spending every night at Iruka’s apartment after proposing, Sakumo suggested it was time they claimed one of the empty houses in the compound as their own. The upkeep on the buildings had been excellent, so all they had to do was air out the place they chose, dust like mad, buy a few more pieces of furniture, and move whatever Iruka had wanted to keep from his apartment.

“Sometimes I think you love my father more than me.”

“Nonsense,” Iruka said. “Tomo, though…”

Kakashi’s mouth fell open in shock.

“That was cruel. ”

Iruka muffled his laughter in his husband’s shoulder.

“Tomo wouldn’t trade you for the world,” Iruka reassured him. And then, because he couldn’t help himself—“Who else would she take advantage of?”

_“Maa,_ Iruka,” Kakashi whined. “Even your apologies are mean.”

“I’m sorry…” Iruka laughed, stopping Kakashi from pulling away. “I’m sorry, okay,” he repeated, more sincerely. “You know you’re an amazing father, right? And Tomo adores you for it.”

Kakashi looked rather disgruntled still, wearing the same pout that had adorned their daughter’s face an hour ago. The resemblance was uncanny, and it was the cutest thing Iruka had ever seen.

“I tease you because I love you,” Iruka said softly, nuzzling his nose into Kakashi’s neck.

“You tease me because you’re a  cheeky bastard,” Kakashi retorted, tugging on a loose lock of Iruka’s hair.

“Well, that too,” Iruka agreed. “But you knew that when you married me.”

“Because I  _ thought _ it’d make for good foreplay.”

Iruka lightly punched him in the gut.

“ _Ow_ , ” Kakashi winced, reeling away, though it didn’t hurt at all.

“You’re so dramatic,” Iruka laughed, as he reached for his hand. “Come on. Help me in the kitchen.”

* * *

Iruka started to unpack the several bags of food Kakashi had brought home, placing the contents into covered serving dishes. They were hosting everyone in the main garden for a late lunch, so long as it didn’t rain. When Iruka reached for the last bag, he saw what looked like a plush dog resting on top of the containers.

He picked it up, curious.

“What’s this?” Iruka asked as Kakashi entered the kitchen, a fully dressed Tomo whizzing past them both.

“Ah, it’s a backpack,” Kakashi said, crossing over to Iruka excitedly. “I saw it on display in a shop window while doing Gai’s scavenger hunt. Its arms and legs are the straps, so when you wear it, it looks like it’s riding on your back.”

Iruka smiled, turning it around in his hands, noticing the zipper and a few pockets.

“That’s actually pretty ador—”

Iruka stopped speaking. The tail was tightly curled up inside plastic casing still. 

“Kakashi,” Iruka said, feeling his eyebrow twitch. “Is this… is this a leash?”

“No. It’s a Puppy Pal… with an exceptionally long tail.”

“It’s a leash,” Iruka deadpanned. “A leash for a  _child_.”

“You put Tomo inside a barrier the other day as a playpen,” Kakashi said, a matter of factly. “Why can’t I have some help controlling her?”

“That’s… that’s different!” Iruka exclaimed, feeling his cheeks heat in contradiction. “Would you like it if I put  _you_ on a leash, Kakashi?”

Iruka regretted it the second it came out of his mouth. He could practically see the wolfish grin forming beneath Kakashi’s mask.

“Don’t answer that.”

“I’d let you collar me,” Kakashi said, dropping his voice so only the two of them could hear. 

“I said don’t ans—”

“—tug me around—”

“— _St_ _op it._ ”

Kakashi’s eyes lit up.

“Would you like that for your birthday?”

Iruka snorted out a laugh.

“Last time I checked, birthday gifts should be something  _I_ wanted, not you.”

Kakashi leaned back against the kitchen counter, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You cannot honestly tell me you wouldn’t get off on that. I know you too well.”

“That’s—that’s not the point!” Iruka hissed, glancing around to take note of Tomo. She was sprawled on her back on top of Bull, happily reading a book.

“Ha! You didn’t deny it,” Kakashi smirked. “I’m filing that away for later.”

“Yeah, you do that,” Iruka said, slapping the Puppy Pal into Kakashi’s chest. “Now would you help me set up the bar? They should be here soon.”

* * *

Kakashi had decided that because it was Iruka’s birthday party, he would be in charge of keeping tabs on Tomo so Iruka could mingle.

He spent more time staring (and excessively drooling, according to Anko) at Iruka than at his daughter—which had turned out to be a _mistake._

In the short spurts of time that Kakashi had left Tomo to do as she pleased, their daughter managed to: walk up two trees and get stuck, covertly tie Naruto’s shoes together with stolen chakra wire, conned Kotetsu into giving her five ryo for who knows what, learned how to play (and win at) poker from Tsunade, and convinced Sakura to punch Sai in the face for a comment that was never actually made.

To put a point to the hell-raising a five-year-old could do...

Tomo was a _little shit._

Maybe he should have busted out the puppy pal for the party.

Sakumo wasn’t helping the situation one bit with his wide grins and wishy-washy scolding. Kakashi knew this was revenge for the shit he pulled when he was growing up. He knew for a fact that Sakumo taught Tomo how to walk up surfaces. Kakashi hadn’t been much older when he had been taught the same skill, but he didn’t use it for the chaos Tomo did. 

Kakashi had never seen Iruka more murderous than he was the morning when he had literally caught Tomo when she fell off the ceiling.

It had happened early one Saturday morning. Kakashi had tried to keep Iruka in bed a little longer with lazy kisses, but Tomo was making a racket somewhere else in the house. Iruka had abandoned him to feed their daughter and make sure she wasn’t getting into too much trouble. A moment later Iruka yelped and Tomo cackled.

The ensuing two-hour discussion (Iruka sternly talking at their daughter whose bottom lip wobbled miserably) on why walking anywhere but the ground was not okay until she was much older was the worst.

In the end, Tomo continued to do it, only she got better at controlling her chakra and quickly became more sneaky about using her newly acquired skills.

Like using those same skills to pilfer the cake he had special ordered from the bakery a few days ago—specifically for Iruka’s birthday party.

In the corner of his eye, Kakashi tracked Tomo as she cautiously picked her way through the garden to the table where the cake sat. She carefully surveyed the surrounding area, making sure none of the adults were watching, Kakashi included, and then pulled one of the white lawn chairs over so she could reach the tabletop.

The funny thing was, the cake was about as big as Tomo. There was no way his little girl would be able to pull it off the table and carry it away without dropping it and making a huge mess, along with alerting everyone at the party to her shenanigans.

However, it seemed like he didn’t have to worry about that level of chaos. She had an accomplice in all of this…

Somehow, without drawing attention to the table, Sakumo had appeared with another cake in his hands. He set the new one down on the table, then picked the other up and walked away. But not before looking directly at Kakashi and winking.

Kakashi quietly sighed.

_Of course._

It was impossible to mistake the messy pink frosting blob—covered in unlit, multi-colored candles and a messily written ‘Happy Birthday Papa’ on it in a yellow gel icing—for anything other than the cake he and Tomo made early this morning.

They planned to have Iruka’s birthday on the weekend before the actual date, as it fell on a weekday this year. Tomo, with Kakashi’s help, was going to bake Iruka a birthday cake for the evening of his birthday while he was at work, then surprise him with it when he came home.

Tomo was an impatient child, though, and Kakashi had been awakened at the asscrack of dawn this morning to bake.

Iruka teased the shit out of him in the past for being a sucker, but how do you say no to your adorable and whiny only child? Kakashi didn’t have the answer to that.  
  


_"Daddy.”_

_Kakashi grumbled and shifted onto his stomach as a tiny hand tugged at the sleeve of his t-shirt._

“Dad!” _Tomo hissed a little louder, trying very hard to shake him awake._

_"What is it, Tomo?” Kakashi mumbled into his pillow. He tilted his head and cracked his eye open to look at the annoying light of his clock sitting on the nightstand. Two minutes to six, it read. Kakashi whimpered._

_It was too early for this._

_Tomo climbed up into the bed, cuddling into Kakashi’s side. Her wild bedhead threatened to poke Kakashi in his exposed eye as she wiggled to get comfortable. “I want to make the cake now,” she whispered so she wouldn’t wake Iruka—who was still snoring away peacefully next to them._

_Kakashi sighed, shifting a little more so he could look at her. Well, the dark blob that was supposed to be her. The light of dawn was slowly making itself known, but it was still dark in the bedroom._

_“_ _Tomo, we agreed to do that on Monday, remember?” he whispered back._

_Even in the dark Kakashi could see Tomo start to frown. He was thankful he couldn’t see her weepy eyes very well._

Small mercies.

_“I know, but I really want to do it for the party though,” she whined softly. Kakashi knew the tears were welling up in her eyes._

_“You went with grandpa and me yesterday to get the cake for the party, sweetheart,” Kakashi reminded her._

_Kakashi had ordered a triple chocolate cake, and it was large enough to make sure that everyone they had invited got at least one piece. They could fight over the remainder of the cake; and they would too because it was a cake from the best bakery in Konoha._

_The cake Tomo wanted to make wouldn’t be big enough. It was a simple cake mix that came in a box they picked up at the market, and it would make enough for Iruka, Tomo, and maybe Sakumo, to eat as they pleased—so long as it didn’t spoil dinner. Kakashi wouldn’t have more than just a small piece as he wasn’t big on sweets._

_“Yeah, but it won’t be as good as the one I’ll make,” Tomo countered, sniffling and burying her head into Kakashi’s shoulder._

_Kakashi held back his snort of amusement, not wanting to set Tomo off. The line between confidence and arrogance was incredibly blurred where she was concerned._

_“Please,_ Dad?”

_He shouldn’t do it, Kakashi knew it._

_But he couldn’t say no to his daughter._

_Iruka was going to torment him for the next month when he found out._

_“Fine, we’ll make the cake—”_

_“Yes!” Tomo whooped on the wrong side of a little too loud._

_Kakashi quickly covered Tomo’s mouth with his hand. “Shhhh!” he hushed her._

_Both of them stilled, listening to the bed creaking and the blankets rustling as Iruka moved around to get comfortable again. He made a sleepy noise once he settled into a position._

_Kakashi waited a little longer to make sure Iruka was asleep…_

_“Ouch!” he hissed, jerking his hand away from Tomo’s mouth. “Tomo, what did we tell you about biting people?”_

_“We don’t bite people, unless they’re bad,” Tomo pouted as she recited the rule._

_Her biting people started becoming an issue once all of her teeth came in. Tomo discovered quickly that it could get her a lot of places. Even the fear of biting had its uses. Thankfully she was getting better at not biting people, at least._

_“And what else, Tomo?”_

_“I’m sorry I bit you.”_

_“That’s my girl,” Kakashi said and petted Tomo’s messy hair. “We’ll make the cake, but we’ll give it to your papa after dinner tonight.”_

_Tomo huffed, “Fine.”_

_“Great.” Kakashi yawned, and gently nudged Tomo with his shoulder. “Go wait in the kitchen, I’ll be right there.”_

_Tomo slid out of bed and darted out of the room._

_Kakashi pushed the blankets off him and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He stretched, yawning again, and then stood up. On his way out of the bedroom, he touched the wall next to the frame and activated a seal. Iruka liked to call this one the napping seal because it was only used when either he or Iruka napped in the bedroom. When activated, it suppressed all noise that came from outside the bedroom._

_Having a husband that was a genius with seals was amazing._

_Kakashi shut the bedroom door behind him and then headed for the kitchen._

_The bright light made him squint, and his tired eyes watered in protest. Tomo stood on the step stool she had pushed up against the counter, a box of_ funfetti _(such a stupid name—it’s_ confetti _) cake mix held to her chest. She had a big grin on her face as she stared at him expectantly._

_“I got everything the instructions said we needed!” Tomo said excitedly._

For an hour he and Tomo made a mess of the kitchen. Tomo wanted to do everything, claiming that she was old enough; and Kakashi let her until she tried to mix a whole egg into the mixing bowl—shell and all. The cake came out funny looking, but it smelled delicious.

When the cake had cooled, and after Tomo had lovingly (and messily) decorated it, the biggest concern was in hiding it. The smell of baking had permeated all the space in the entire house, and they couldn’t just leave the cake out in the open. Tomo wanted it to be a surprise.

They cracked open some windows and opened the shoji screen off the living room, then Kakashi carefully used a wind jutsu to air out the house. Then Kakashi made Tomo swear she would never repeat it without supervision. He prayed that she took his words to heart.

Now he watched Tomo cover the replacement cake with a sheet—making sure it didn’t get snagged on any of the candles—to hide that the swap happened.

Kakashi couldn’t ignore her anymore. He sedately made his way over to the table as Tomo climbed down off the chair. If anyone turned to look at them, it’d look like he was just following his errant child.

“Tomo, I feel like we had a conversation about this twice,” Kakashi scolded as he walked up behind her.

Tomo tensed, freezing up, then slowly turned her head to look up at Kakashi over her shoulder. Her widened eyes gave her away. She hadn’t realized he’d been watching. Her eyes narrowed, she crossed her arms over her chest, and she tilted her chin up in stubborn defiance.

Fantastic.

“It’s Papa’s birthday party, he should have the cake _we_ made him,” Tomo told Kakashi as she crossed her arms across her chest stubbornly and scowled at him.

 _There is no way you got that stubbornness from me, kid,_ Kakashi thought to himself.

“And you agreed to compromise.” Kakashi reminded her. “We said we’d give it to Papa tonight after dinner, didn’t we?”

Tomo’s resolve slipped, and she immediately blurted: “Grandpa thought it was a good idea.”

Kakashi’s eyes narrowed then; taking a page out of Iruka’s book, he put his hands on his hips in a disapproving manner.

Tomo’s eyes widened in surprise at her own words. She had given away her accomplice.

He wanted to be disappointed in her, he really did, but Kakashi couldn’t bear to see Tomo get upset… even over a stupid birthday cake. He would have to go to the one that instigated it all.

Kakashi sighed.

He kneeled in front of Tomo, and put a hand on her head, messing up her some-what-tamed hair. She batted away his hand.

“Why don’t you go and bother Naruto for a little bit,” he told her, slipping his mask down just enough to reveal his smile. If Tomo saw him smile, she wouldn’t be upset that he had been upset. “I think I saw him with a plate of those dumplings you love,” he suggested, then kissed her forehead and slipped his mask back up.

Tomo perked up considerably and ran off yelling about greedy brothers and their big mouths.

Now to go find the accomplice.

* * *

Finding his dad was easier than Kakashi thought it would be, but the man wasn’t trying to hide either.

He had _wanted_ Kakashi to see him helping Tomo.

After making the cake swap, Sakumo had retreated into the house and was waiting in the kitchen for him.

The purloined cake was still covered and safely resting on the middle island, opposite of where Sakumo was leaning against the counter.

“Was this revenge for my outfit?” Kakashi asked wryly as he walked into the Kitchen, only stopping when he reached the middle island.

Sakumo snorted. “No. My granddaughter looked upset, and I thought I’d try and fix it.”

“I told her we had to wait until later,” Kakashi groaned, slumping forward. “There isn’t enough cake for the entire party, Dad.”

“I thought we could surprise Iruka with that cake, then just cut the other one up and send it home with the guests,” Sakumo explained.

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully, turning the explanation over in his head. Honestly, he hadn’t considered a solution like that. The cake wasn’t specially decorated, it just said ‘Happy 36th Birthday Iruka!’ on it in white icing. Iruka could blow the candles out on any cake.

“How were you planning to send the cake home with people?” Kakashi asked, genuinely curious.

Sakumo jabbed a thumb at a box sitting on the counter next to him. “I got some recyclable paper containers.”

“Oh, that’s smart.”

Sakumo grinned smugly. “What? Did you think I was just going to keep it all to myself?”

“I was kind of worried what would happen to it, not gonna lie.” Kakashi admitted, “You and Iruka are chocolate fiends, after all, and he would be upset if he didn’t get a piece of the chocolate cake we ordered special for him”

“You’re right about that,” Sakumo chuckled.

With the cake debacle figured out, there was just one more thing Kakashi was dying to know…

“So where’s your new girlfriend, Dad?”

Sakumo sputtered, turning red as he became completely flustered.

His dad had eyes and ears all over the village, there was hardly anything he didn’t know, which was how Sakumo had found out when Kakashi’s relationship with Iruka got serious all those years ago.

It was satisfying turning the tables on him.

“You knew?” Sakumo asked when he recovered from his shock.

“Yep!”

The atmosphere suddenly shifted from light and silly to serious. All Kakashi wanted to do was get some revenge teasing in, but instead, he had stumbled upon a sensitive topic.

Sakumo cleared his throat. “We decided it was too soon in our relationship for a big, personal gathering.”

“Oh,” Kakashi awkwardly said, rubbing the back of his neck. Whoops!

“Yeah.” Sakumo said, and sighed, “I’ve had over thirty years to get over your mother, but Kazane has only had a few years to mourn her own spouse by comparison.”

 _Gods, I’m going to be thirty-seven this year,_ Kakashi said to himself. He was probably overdue for his mid-life crisis. Well, maybe a second or third mid-life crisis; he’s had a few crises over three decades.

“I-I was looking forward to meeting her,” Kakashi confessed honestly, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Kakashi had accidentally stumbled upon them while walking home one night a few weeks ago. His Dad, and the woman who was presumably his girlfriend, had been walking down the street, away from Kakashi. At the very last moment, just before Kakashi slipped away, he caught the woman leaning up to kiss Sakumo on the cheek.

After generously bribing Tenzo, he found out that woman’s name was Kazane. She and her husband had been Konoha jounin once upon a time. Her husband had been killed in action about ten years ago, and shortly after that she was forced into retirement after her entire left leg was shattered during a mission.

“I’m not a kid anymore, Dad. I’m not going to get upset at you for finding someone else. You aren’t replacing Mom, and you deserve to be happy too.” Kakashi added, looking pointedly at Sakumo.

Kakashi had never gotten a chance to meet his mom, so all that he knew about her came from his Dad’s stories, and from the photo albums that were hidden away in the library of the main house.

So there was nothing there to replace for Kakashi.

Yet it was Kakashi that never really needed to worry about it.

Sakumo had been depressed for a long time, never really shaking his wife’s death, or the events that transpired after that. Even as the years passed, and that hurt softened, Kakashi would still catch his Dad’s gaze growing distant as he fondly remembered the past.

“Kakashi, I—” Sakumo began to say but paused as his emotions bled into his voice and choked him up.

He opened his mouth to try and speak again, but Tomo’s voice rang out and interrupted him this time, instantly breaking up the serious moment.

“Daddy? Grandpa? Where are you?”

No sooner than she had called out to them, she was marching through the door looking determined in her quest to find them.

She stopped and looked up at Kakashi. “Papa is looking for you,” she said. She turned her head to look at Sakumo, and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Are you making Grandpa sad, Daddy?” She asked, dismayed to see her Idol upset.

Before Tomo could make a fuss about it, Sakumo pushed off the counter and scooped up Tomo into his arms.

“No, Sweetpea,” Sakumo told her, kissing her forehead and smoothing his fingers over the upset furrow of her brow. “Your Dad made me feel really happy.”

“If you say so,” Tomo said doubtfully, frowning at him and then at Kakashi. “Papa wanted me to tell you that Uncle Gai is drinking adult stuff and that you should stop him before Aunt Anko gets him really drunk. And it’s time to show everyone the cake and open presents.”

“Oh, shi— _shoot,”_ Kakashi growled, barely catching himself before he swore in front of his daughter.

Kakashi dashed out of the kitchen and to the garden.

* * *

Everyone was gathered around the table talking amongst themselves as they waited for the moment to sing happy birthday.

Tomo stood on a lawn chair next to Iruka, on his right, gripping the sheet that covered the cake, ready to reveal the surprise. Kakashi stood close to Iruka on his other side, ready to light the candles on the cake.

“Can I do it now?” Tomo asked, looking up at him and Iruka for confirmation.

“Do you need help?” Iruka questioned, reaching for the edge of the sheet.

Tomo batted his hand away. “No, I want to do it.”

“Well, go ahead then”

Tomo peeled the sheet off slowly, only getting it stuck on one candle and pulling it out of its place.

Iruka’s eyes lit up with delight and a big grin spread across his face as he gazed down at the homemade cake.

“Did you perform some cake jutsu, Tomo? This wasn’t the cake I saw earlier.” He pointed out.

Tomo grinned back at him. “No, I made it!” she giggled.

 _“Rude,_ I helped,” Kakashi chimed in.

Iruka looked over at Kakashi, his expression growing smug as he whispered _“I knew it.”_

“How?” Kakashi grimaced.

“I saw the box in the trash,” Iruka revealed, snickering, “Also our bedroom smelled like freshly baked cake.”

“Dang it,” Kakashi muttered. He knew he should have taken the trash out and double-checked the rooms, but by the time they had finished up and Tomo was eating breakfast while watching TV, Kakashi was stretching himself out on the couch for a short nap.

Iruka hip-checked him. “Well, are you going to light the candles? Or do I have to do it myself?”

Kakashi grinned and lifted his hands, slowly forming seals for a fire jutsu.

Iruka smacked him.

“Do not use a Katon on the cake, Kakashi!” Iruka admonished in his teacher’s voice.

“Mean,” Kakashi pouted, but lowered his hands. He patted down his pants pockets looking for the matches he had stored in one of them a couple of hours ago. Managing to fish the tiny box out of his pocket, Kakashi removed one and lit it.

The group standing around the table began singing as Kakashi lit each candle, and Iruka’s smile grew impossibly wide.

“Make a wish,” Kakashi said as he lit the final candle and the song came to its close.

Iruka’s eyes were looking a little wet as he replied, “My wish already came true.”

Kakashi’s eyes threatened to well up with tears then too.

He leaned in, pulled his mask down as he went, and kissed Iruka.

“Happy birthday.”

**Author's Note:**

> ladyxdaydream here! WHEW this fic was a blast to write. If you have been following our Tomo series during this shiritori event, I hope you enjoyed this latest installment! And if you haven’t read any yet, welcome!! 
> 
> Honestly, I loved building this verse with Gloomier. It was super fun and incredibly heartwarming to write kakairu with their own child T-T. AND SAKUMO! Gaahhh! I gotta say, I’m a bit sad the shiritori is over... 
> 
> Massive thanks and love to my partner Gloomier—the Kakashi to my Iruka—who I admire so much. I laughed so hard creating this series with you. It’s been an absolute joy. 
> 
> What’d you all think? ( ◡‿◡ ♡)
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!! Check out our ao3’s for more of our individual work! 
> 
> ♥️ HAPPY BIRTHDAY IRUKA !!!


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